Car-coupling



(No Model.) I r H. SMALL.

GAR GOUPLING.'

No. 424,509. Patented Apr. 1, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY SMALL, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,509, dated April 1,1890.

Application filed January 16,1890. Serial No. 337,070- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SMALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful Oar-Coupling, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to car-couplin gs, and more especially to thatpart orportion of the mechanism usually termed link-lifters and theobject of the invention is to provide means whereby the link can belifted and caused to enter the draw-head of an approaching carby theoperator when standing alongside the stationary car. I attain thisobject by the mechanism hereinafterdescribed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and inwhich- Figure 1 is an end View of a car with my improved link-lifterattached. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the link-lifting arm proper,showing the pivoted lifter attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a perspectivedetail view of the arm and lifter, showing their manner of connection.Fig. 4 is a perspective detail of the lifter detached.

The letter A represents the track, B the car-body, C the coupling, E thelink thereof, and P the pin for retaining the link in position, all asis common and well known.

Across the end of the platform of the car or the end of the car-body B,I place the rockshaft S, which turns in suitable bearings s, and at theends thereof I provide the crankhandles K, all as clearly shown in Fig.1 of the drawings.

At a point in the length of the rock-shaft S, a little to one side ofthe draw-head C, I provide the lifting-arm L, whose outer end isprovided with a vertical slot Z, opening through the said end, and witha pair of horizontal slots h, whose outer ends are closed, all as shownin Fig. 3.

The letter I designates the lifter proper, which is provided with anenlarged head D, having a transverse eye d, and comprises a verticalshank having a lateral arm '5 at its lower end. The apertured eye d atthe upper end of the lifter is passed into the vertical slot Zin thelifter-arm and a transverse bolt 0 passed through the eye therein, itsends loosely engaging the side slots h in the said lifting-arm. One endof the bolt is provided with an integral head 0, and the other islaterally perforated to receive a pin Z, this pin rock-shaft S in itsbearings, the arm L is raised,

to about a horizontal position when the lateral arm 1' of the lifterengages beneath the link, as will be readily understood. The link is nowraised to the desired point to cause it to enter the opening in thedraw-head of the approaching car, and the pin in the last-named car isdropped into place, thereby coupling the cars.

Devices similar somewhat to mine have heretofore been constructed, andit was found by experience that with cars having platforms and ends of agreat variety of shapes and sizes the outwardly-projecting end of thelifting-arm L was frequently struck by the approaching car, resulting inthe bending, breaking, or smashing thereof, and the complete destroyingof .the link-lifter. Various remedies for this objectionable featurehave been suggested, all more or less effective; but the presentconstruction combines the points of simplicity, economy, durability, anddouble prevention of the evil referred to-that is to say, the pivotedlifter I is adapted to swing longitudinally of the car, and this motionprevents its breakage by being struck by any part of the approachingcar; but in addition to this the slots in the lifting-arm L permit thelifter I not only to swing around its pivot, but to move bodily therein,as will be clearly understood. By this construction, even if the lifterbecame accidentally distended and were struck when in such position bysome part of the approaching car, it would move bodily on its pivot andno injurious results would follow.

It frequently happened heretofore that at the moment the coupling wastaking place the following state of affairs occurred: The lifter wasbeneath the link of the stationary car, the tip of the link entered thedraw-head of the approaching car and was sustained in position therein,the utility of the lifter being then at an end, but the approachihg carstill moving. A continued movement of this car of course brings the twodraw-heads together, and the lifter must automatically pass from betweenthem. It is naturally expected that the operator will drop the crank andallow the lifter to fall; but experience has proven that such is notalways the case, especially with inexperienced hands. The result is thatthe draw-head of the approaching car strikes the lower end of thelifter, and even though the latter may be supported at its upper end ona pivot, still the lifter is caught in the mouth of the draw-head oragainst the face of the same if it happen to be somewhat higher than thedraw-head of the stationary car, and the litter is crushed.

By the use of the present device the only rigid arm that projects fromthe rock-shaft is at one side of the draw-heads, and is preferably madelong enough and located at such height on the end of the car that itwill not strike any portion of the approaching car. The lifter properhangs from the lifter-arm and only its lateral arm 1) passes under thelink. The lifter may therefore turn on its pivot, slide bodily on itspivot, or both, at the moment the cars are coupled, and the impact ofthe two draw-heads will therefore cause no destruction of thelink-lifter.

I claim as the salient points of my inventhe rock-shaft journaled acrossthe end of the car, of the arm projecting forwardly therefrom, and thelifter connected to said arm by both pivot and slot and pin connections,substantially as described.

2. In a link-lifter, the combination, with the rock-shaft journaledacross the end of the car and the lifting-arm projecting forwardlytherefrom, the front end of said arm being horizontally slotted, of thelifter pivoted at its upper end on a pin seated in said slot and havinga lower end standing norm ally beneath the link, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the rock-shaft journaled across the end of thecar and the arm projecting therefrom at one side of the draw-head, theouter end of said arm being vertically bifurcated and each bifurcationhaving a longitudinal lateral slot, of the lifter having a head slidingin said vertical slot between the bifurcations and a lateral arm at itslower end passing beneath the link, a bolt passing through said head andsliding loosely in said side slots in the arm, and a pin for holdingsaid bolt in place, the whole constructed as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY SMALL.

Witnesses:

Jno. A. GREEN, J12, M. F. COLLINS.

